Such is the mass euphoria surrounding Chiranjeevi’s 150th film, that since news of Puri Jagannadh directing the landmark film broke late Sunday afternoon, #Chiru150 has been trending online nationally. What all the hullablo does not reveal though, is how Puri emerged the front-runner, pipping director VV Vinayak, who was tipped to direct the film! Looks like it all boiled down to the story.

“Chiranjeevi rejected numerous scripts and was looking for a plot that would appeal to all sections of the audience. But he was bowled over by the script of the film which, he okayed in under 20 mins. The quirky plot excited Chiru and he felt Puri would be ideal to direct the movie,” says a source close to the Mega Star.

Touted to be a “mass comedy,” the film will be a complete entertainer, informs the source. Puri Jagannadh recently registered a title Auto Johnny, which is named after a character from Chiranjeevi’s 1991 blockbuster Rowdy Alludu. Buzz is that Chiranjeevi’s characterisation in the film will be inspired by that iconic role.”The film has nothing in common with Rowdy Alludu though, and the title isn’t confirmed yet. The pre-production work is on; Puri Jagannadh is still developing the final script,” adds the source.

Meanwhile, director Puri Jagannadh can’t seem to hold his excitement about getting a chance to direct his childhood hero. “I’m overwhelmed to say the least. As a young boy I remember decorating theatres in my village when Chiranjeevi’s films would release. Now, I’m going to direct his 150th film. That’s a script even I couldn’t have dreamt of! Sometimes life can turn out to be more magical than fiction,” shares Puri.